Scientists may be able to use a protein in our immune system as a “weapon” against a common bacteria that, in extreme cases, cause a deadly flesh-eating disease.
Researchers in an as-of-late distributed report have found that this protein distinguishes and cautions against the possibly deadly microscopic organisms, Clostridium perfringens.
According to The Australia Today, lead author Dr Anukriti Mathur is from the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at the Australian National University (ANU).
For her PhD thesis, “Microbial Activators of the Inflammasome,” Dr Mathur received an outstanding research award in 2022. Her research was all about learning how the body’s natural immune system recognizes toxins from bacteria.
She is looking into the molecular mechanisms by which the innate immune system senses infection and colorectal cancer.
The Clostridium perfringens microbes, in its harmless structure, researchers accept is a typical reason for food contamination. However, in severe cases, it can also be the source of fatal infections like gangrene.
The study’s authors use the analogy of a home security system “that also doubles up as a fire detector” to explain NLRP3’s ability to detect these toxins.
The ANU team discovered a previously unknown function of the NLRP3 protein in becoming “over-activated” and responding incorrectly to Clostridium perfringens infection.
Researchers say that when this occurs, the body’s well-being systems that are intended to safeguard us come up short, prompting possibly dangerous circumstances like sepsis.
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The ANU researchers utilized medications to hose the invulnerable framework’s cautious reaction set off by NLRP3. They were able to decipher the molecular mechanisms by which the toxins activate the protein’s alarm system thanks to this.
The researchers claim that by gaining a deeper comprehension of these mechanisms, researchers can begin to identify strategies for developing novel therapies to eradicate the bacteria, for which there are insufficient and ineffective treatment options.
